Perspective | One year after Helene: Lessons that shape our future

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, I cannot help but reflect — personally and professionally — on all that our region has endured over the past year. Living through Helene here in western North Carolina was both humbling and eye-opening. Like so many of our neighbors and students, I felt the disruption, uncertainty, and even fear that came with the powerful storm.

It was a stark reminder that no matter our walk of life, we are all vulnerable when nature shows its strength. It also reminded me that it’s OK if we cannot do it all. Sometimes the best thing we can do is lean on others, accept help, and focus on the essentials. That self-awareness about what is possible — and what is not — is a lesson I continue to carry with me.

At the center of the community

Even in the final hours of Hurricane Helene’s approach on Sept. 27, 2024, our communities struggled to fully comprehend the storm’s magnitude. We had all seen plenty of storms, but this would not be like any of them. Overnight, Blue Ridge Community College became a vital resource hub for the region.

Prior to the storm, we sounded the alarm to our stakeholders and neighbors, urging them to prepare and take action. We canceled classes and prepared for the worst, which in retrospect was exactly the right move. After the storm subsided and devastation surrounded us, our college was needed in new ways, and the needs changed by the day. From housing emergency management and search-and-rescue crews, to clearing space for helicopters to land, to hosting a FEMA base camp on our Henderson County campus, to distributing water and food to students, Blue Ridge became a central player in deploying lifesaving personnel across the region.

During times of crisis, community colleges like ours have both a responsibility and a privilege to stand in the gap. We provide facilities, support, and people who care deeply about their community. In Helene’s aftermath, we did not have every answer, nor could we solve every problem, but we were present. And being present — open, supportive, adaptable, collaborative — mattered. Even as our team members struggled to meet their own daily needs, those qualities helped us pick up the pieces of our community and our students’ lives. This generous and unquenchable spirit is the backbone of western North Carolina, and it is what gives me confidence in our future.

The community lifeline

Perhaps the greatest lessons came from the people of this region. I witnessed extraordinary resilience, compassion, and humanity. Neighbors helped neighbors, communities came together, and individuals gave of themselves even when they had lost so much.

I saw genuine care as our team checked on employees and students in the days after the storm. As fragments of our communications systems slowly returned, Blue Ridge employees reached out to students and one another in any way possible — in some cases hiking across muddy mountainsides — to check on each other’s well-being. The first questions were always, “Are you OK?” and “What do you need?” It was incredible to watch the many connections and partnerships we had built for education transform overnight into a support network for basic human needs.

Even as we collected and provided whatever resources we could, we were humbled to receive the help of community organizations and numerous community colleges across North Carolina. At first, all highways were blocked, but as they cleared, we welcomed vans, trucks, and tractor trailers full of water, food, clothing, and supplies for our students, employees, and their families. It was emotional for everyone to see our sister colleges take immediate action to send help when it was needed most. As our team and students were fortified, we were in turn able to lend our strength to others and to support the broader emergency response effort.

Safeguarding our future

Now, one year later, our role expands as those in Helene’s path attempt to overcome a severe blow to our regional economy approaching $60 billion by some estimates. As part of the solution, Blue Ridge Community College is not only helping people and businesses recover, but also helping to build a brighter, more resilient future for the next generation. Our focus has returned to what have always been our core strengths — education, workforce development, and innovation — now galvanized by the year we have just lived.

More than ever before, we understand that our mission is central to the success of the places we call home. We see in real time how our work directly impacts the health of families; the safety of our roads, bridges, and parks; the stability of businesses and jobs; and the natural resources that make western North Carolina one of the nation’s most treasured destinations. 

More than ever, our community needs us to train the next generation of professionals in construction, skilled trades, engineering, health care, emergency services, public safety, information technology, and much more. More than ever, community colleges in our region are paving the way toward recovery, providing the knowledge, skills, and people who rebuild our communities and safeguard our future.

Lessons in resilience

Residents of western North Carolina must never forget the lessons of those difficult days. Individually, we learned the value of resilience, compassion, and unity. Collectively, we saw that our greatest strength lies in the people and institutions that step forward to help. This has certainly been true for community colleges like Blue Ridge, which continue to serve as vital resources for the community throughout this crisis and recovery.

As leaders, we are called to be both self-aware of our limits and courageous in our actions. No single institution or individual can do it all. But together, through collaboration, humility, and vision, we can create pathways toward recovery and resilience.

Above all, we must lead with humanity, because it is the people — their spirit, passion, and determination — who ultimately carry us through the storm.

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Editor’s note: The N.C. Press Association has awarded EdNC its public service award for our coverage and strategic support of western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. You can see all of our coverage here.